<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Tender by Center_of_the_Galaxy</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24493789">Tender</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Center_of_the_Galaxy/pseuds/Center_of_the_Galaxy'>Center_of_the_Galaxy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Protective Carlos, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, injured jill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:00:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24493789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Center_of_the_Galaxy/pseuds/Center_of_the_Galaxy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing should come before the mission. Not even her own life. Carlos; however, doesn’t seem to grasp that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Oliveira/Jill Valentine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She’s battered, bruised, and dirty, but alive. </p>
<p>Jill Valentine, the last remaining STARS agent in this zombie infested city, is alive. Sure, she has a monster on her ass and she doesn’t trust Umbrella Corps guys as far as she can throw them, but she’s still here and breathing. </p>
<p>So, in her eyes, that’s a win. </p>
<p>As she sits on the abandoned subway train, she catches her breath and tries to steady her pounding heart. The adrenaline still has her hyped up, but she can feel the crash coming. Her hands shake a bit, her head pounds and exhaustion starts to nibble away at her. </p>
<p>“You look like shit, supercop.” Carlos kneels before her, gently dabbing at her open cuts with antibacterial ointment that strings like a bee as it touches her skin. </p>
<p>She winces, but lets him go on. Honestly, she’s never had someone take care of her like this. Out in the field, she’d been on her own. Sure, her teammates watched her back, but if things got out of hand, she could only count on herself. The mission was–and always is–more important than her life. </p>
<p>Carlos, for all the hardened soldier he claims to be, doesn’t seem to grasp that lesson. </p>
<p>“You should see the other guy,” The quip rolls off her tongue, but she knows that she looks bad, “Your team okay?” </p>
<p>“What’s left of us,” Carlos replies, but his eyes never leave hers, “You must have some angel looking after you. No broken bones, no deep cuts.” He steps back, shooting her a tight grin as he tosses the cloth that he’d been using aside. He takes a seat across from her, “You shouldn’t go back out there alone.” </p>
<p>“I can handle it.” </p>
<p>“I know you can,” He replies calmly, “But there’s a line between making a good tactical decision and being a damn fool.” </p>
<p>She surpasses a laugh, trying to be stern, “I don’t need you to protect me.” </p>
<p>He rolls his eyes, “It’s not about that, Jill. It’s about having your back. My team has gone from 150 to just us. I couldn’t help them, but I’ll be damned if I lose you too.” </p>
<p>The passion in his words stirs something within her, an odd feeling in her heart. Warmth and gratefulness. He’s the first one willing to bear her trials. She has no doubt that he means his words. If she let him, he’d come with her and probably take a bullet for her. </p>
<p>But she’s lost people too. She’s not an innocent. </p>
<p>She won’t let someone as good as him die tonight. Not when that thing is after her and her alone. </p>
<p>“You need to get the civilians out,” She reminds him gently, “This thing is after me. I can draw it away,” She talks over him when he’s about to interrupt, “And then you can your team can help me.” </p>
<p>He chuckles dryly, like he knows that she’s just placating him. </p>
<p>She stands up, ignoring the flaring pain in her temple, “I’ll radio you when I get everything up and running.” </p>
<p>He nods, “Be careful, Jill.” </p>
<p>“You too, Carlos.” </p>
<p>Their gazes linger on each other for a second too long. </p>
<p>Jill turns away first, shaking thoughts of what-if from her brain.</p>
<p>All that matters–all that ever matters–is the mission.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>